Where I Will Always Love You
by DSI-ScullyGibson
Summary: "You know that place between sleep and awake; that place where you can still remember dreaming? That's where I will always love you. That's where I will always be waiting." A year after Cora's husband, the 15th Duke of Norfolk, dies, Cora and Robert meet once more and their story begins again, but it may not end the way they expect it to. Loosely based on Finding Neverland.
1. Prologue: 11 July 1900

_11 July 1900_

 _"And we commit his body to the ground: earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust…"_

Robert looked down to his hands and let out a small sigh as a few raindrops started to fall. Of course it had to be raining. It just completed the mood. Not even a year before, he had been in this exact same position—watching his wife of nine years being lowered into the ground, alongside the son he would have had if her accident hadn't brought his birth on early.

 _"The Lord bless him and keep him…"_

At those words, Robert looked up to the woman at the front: the Duchess of Norfolk…or he supposed she was now the Dowager Duchess. Cora. He had danced with her during her first season, and he would have married her too if his mother hadn't purposely gone out searching for a _properly bred_ English born girl for him; the daughter of an Earl who had enough money to save Downton.

And there Cora stood now, the woman he would have married, watching as her husband was lowered into the ground. She had one arm around her youngest son, a boy of nearly five, and a baby of no more than five months in the other arm. There were three other boys around her, the oldest looking to be about ten or eleven.

But Robert knew Cora had been the Duke's second wife. He had a son, Philip, from his first marriage of nearly twenty-one. At least Cora's young son wouldn't need to take up the responsibility of becoming Duke of Norfolk so young. God forbid anything happen to him before his time, or at least before he had an heir.

 _"The Lord lift his countenance upon him and give him peace. Amen."_

There was a soft echo of the word before Cora let go of her youngest son's hand, leaving the four boys a few steps behind as she dropped a white rose onto the casket before moving back to them. A few people followed suit and then the service was over, people turning and going back to their cars. A few went home but others, who were closer to the deceased and his family, would give their condolences to the widow when they all arrived for luncheon at the estate.

Robert himself started to turn with his mother and sister when he noticed that Cora remained with her children, whispering quiet words to soothe them as they stood by the grave, despite the sadness that he could see she was feeling.

Henry Fitzalan-Howard, 15th Duke of Norfolk

27 December 1847—5 July 1900

Beloved husband, father, and son

May He Rest in Peace

"It is sad…" He heard his mother say. "It wasn't the poor man's time yet."

Robert took one last glance at the woman, staring at the stone that marked her husband's grave before he saw a woman he remembered to be her mother take her arm and gently lead her away.

* * *

 _So, this certainly will be a Cobert fanfiction. Yes, Cora's husband was a real duke, but I altered the date of his actual death and a few other things just to fit with the story. Henry Fitzalan-Howard did remarry after his first wife died in 1887, but it actually took him more than twenty years, rather than the one it took him to marry Cora in this one. I hope you like the rest of the story, other chapters will be longer, but this is simply a prologue._


	2. Chapter 1: August 1901 Part I

Chapter 1

August 1901

A year later, Robert was once more back in London with his mother, sitting in the drawing room of their London home. For the second year in a row, his mother was forcing him to attend yet another ball during the Season. Currently, Violet was lecturing him on the importance of finding a new wife, and finally producing an heir.

"Robert, you will be going tonight," Violet insisted for nearly the one hundredth time that day. "You need a wife in order to get an heir, if you don't remember. If you do not attend tonight, or so help me god…"

"Or what, mama?" Robert snapped impatiently. "This time around, can my choice of bride not be of my own choosing and on my own time? If you remember correctly, I did not get to marry the woman I wanted the first time around, do I not deserve it this time?"

Violet stared at her son in shock at his outburst, her eyes wide. After the initial shock had worn off, her lips pressed firmly into a tight line, her expression clearly unimpressed. "You _will_ go, Robert, and you _will_ choose a young, English girl of suitable standing," she hissed, watching him carefully. "Is that clear?"

A sigh of frustration escaped him and Robert closed his eyes momentarily before standing and heading toward the drawing room door. "This is the last one, mama," he said sternly. "This is the last time I will go to a ball for the season unless it is for my own child. After tonight, you will let me find a wife my own way, and on my own terms."

If possible, Violet's lips managed to press into an even firmer line. "If that is what you want…" she sighed slowly. Despite wanting a specific life for her son, she knew that he would not find a wife if he didn't even enjoy the process of searching at events she suggested. It had been two years since his wife died. Perhaps it was finally time to let him find a wife on his own…surely she could trust him with that. He was a grown man, after all.

A small smile grew on Robert's lips and he moved to his mother, taking her hands and kissing her cheek. "Thank you, mama." He once more straightened up, giving her hands a small squeeze. "I will be back in time to get ready. I just want to take Isis for a walk in the park before I leave her for the night." Giving her one last smile, he turned and left the room just as his mother was about to protest.

After changing into proper clothing for a walk, Robertmoved down to the entrance hall, taking Isis' leash from the butler they had for their London home. He hated putting Isis on a leash; he would much rather prefer to let her roam free with him as she did back at Downton. Sadly, that was simply not how it was done in the parks in London.

* * *

Kensington Gardens were beautiful in August, as was Hyde Park. They had situated themselves on a hill in the middle of Hyde Park that went down into Kensington Gardens. For once, the sky did not look as though it were going to open up and pour rain onto their heads. It truly made her feel homesick, much like a lot of things had since her husband passed away. Even simply looking at her children made her heart ache.

There had been many times over the last year that she had almost considered accepting her mother's offer to return to New York or Newport. In fact, she was still considering it. William, her eldest, wouldn't be inheriting the title or the estate anyway—that went to her stepson, Philip. Perhaps she wouldn't go back to New York, but instead live in Newport year round…it would be a lovely place to raise the boys, and she was sure her mother would gladly allow them to have the house year round as long as she was allowed to visit in the summer.

"Mama, mama, watch!" Cora was pulled out of her thoughts by the sound of five and a half year old Michael's voice and she gently shifted little one-year old Sylvia in her lap. Michael and Daniel, her second oldest boy of ten years old, were standing at the edge of the hill overlooking Kensington Gardens. Daniel was holding onto a kite while Michael held tightly to the spool of the flying device.

"Michael, you can't run fast enough, you're too little!" Daniel complained, pulling his little brother back as he tried to start running with the spool connected to the kite. "You hold the kite and let go when I tell you to. I'll run."

"But I'm not too little!" Michael insisted, a small pout forming on his lips as he clutched the spool tighter to his chest as though his brother were about to steal it from him. "I'm not!"

"Daniel, let him run," Cora interrupted the two's fight. "I'm sure he'll do just fine."

He boy pursed his lips slightly but let out a sigh and started to instruct his youngest brother on how to run down the hill properly. A few minutes later, twelve year old William ran after them to help, leaving Cora with Peter, who was currently nearly seven years old, and little Sylvia. She gently brushed back the baby's dark curls as she played with a stuffed bear before looking to Peter, who was flipping silently through a picture book.

"Peter," Cora started quietly, brushing the young boy's dark hair back as well. "Don't you want to go play with your brother's?"

He remained silent, still flipping through his book while his mother watched him worriedly. Peter hadn't been the same since his father had died, having been fairly close to him. He was much more quiet now, and liked to remain as close to her as possible, as though she would leave him as well. Despite their station, Cora and he late husband had tried their hardest to raise their children, rather than leave them to a nanny; she didn't care about the looks she received, she would rather be close to her children than alienate them.

It was nearly a few minutes later that Peter finally shook his head. "No...I want to stay with you," he answered quietly, moving closer to her as Cora gently rubbed his back in soothing circles.

Cora let out a small sigh at those words, nodding slowly as she watched the boy's sad face. "Of course, poppet," she whispered softly to him, kissing his head as she looked back down to the other boys. They had gotten down the hill now, but it seemed that the kite hadn't lifted into the air yet. A man and a dog were approaching them, helping them tie a tail onto the end of the kite and then sending them off to try again. She watched them with narrowed eyes, the kite going up into the air now as she heard her boys cheer.

"Come, Peter," she said softly, picking up Sylvia and leaving their blanket where they could see it. The three of them headed down the hill toward William, Daniel, and Michael, the kite still soaring well up in the sky as little Michael guided it.

"I'm sorry, were my boys bothering you?" Cora asked the man—who had his back turned to them for a moment—quietly. The man turned around, looking shocked for a moment when he saw her, before giving her a smile.

"No, not at all…" he said softly, sitting on a bench and patting the dog gently on the head.

Cora studied the man quietly for a moment, noticing that he was familiar and then sitting down next to him slowly when he gestured. "Forgive me, but you look rather familiar," she said quietly to him, adjusting her daughter in her arms as the little girl clutched tightly to her stuffed bear.

The man gave her a soft smile and looked back to the boys playing with the kite. "It is probably because we had quite a few dances together during your season, your grace," he said softly to her. And I would have married you had I been permitted to choose my own wife, he thought to himself. "I was Lord Downton then."

Cora stared at him with wide eyes before smiling softly at him. "Yes, I remember," she whispered. She had fallen in love with him at first sight before she had met her husband near the very end of the season.

Robert returned the smile and gently hooked Isis' leash back onto her collar, glancing at the time on his pocket watch. "I would love to catch up," he started regrettably. "But I'm afraid my mother is expecting me home so we can get to a ball we were invited to." He stood, holding the leash in his hand. "It was lovely to see you again…Cora," he whispered so only she could hear, respectfully kissing her hand as he used the name she had once told him to use all those years ago. "Perhaps we should have tea one day… catch up then," he added, before turning to leave with Isis following faithfully.

* * *

 _That is the end of chapter one. I hope you all enjoyed it! To clear up some ages, William, the oldest, just turned twelve, Daniel turned ten back in March, Peter will be seven in November, Michael will be six in December, and little Sylvia turned one in February. Thank you all so much for the reviews, favourites, and follows last chapter!_


	3. Chapter 2: August 1901 Part II

Chapter 2

 _August 1901 Part II_

The sky was darker that day than it had been a few days before in the park. It was still blue, but one could see the clouds slowly rolling in and know that it was likely it might rain. He fiddled nervously with his hands as he walked and then let out a shaky sigh, thinking how the sky seemed to match his mood. It seemed just as indecisive as he did.

After the short amount of time he had spent with Cora and her children in the park, Robert had gone to the ball just as his mother wished, but no matter how hard he had tried, he couldn't get Cora out of his mind. That was exactly why he was walking down the streets of London with the intention of visiting her briefly to ask her to at least go for a walk with him, if not dinner. But he found, the closer he had gotten to the London residence of the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk, the bigger the urge he had to turn around and run back home.

Why exactly he was so nervous, he did not know. Years ago, when he had first met her at her season, he had thought she was sweet and he had liked her quite a bit—and she was certainly beautiful—but he would never say that he had fallen in love with her. Now, however, he found that he had nerves that he hadn't had when he first met her and he didn't quite understand why. He certainly didn't love her. He couldn't, not when he hadn't loved her before.

It was far sooner than he had liked when he found himself in front of his destination and he stopped, taking in a deep breath and sitting down on a bench on the sidewalk outside of the large house. What was he doing? Her husband had died a little over a year ago…but it wasn't his intention to marry her. It was simply his intention to go for a nice stroll with her, or maybe dinner at the Ritz, if she wanted. He merely wanted to catch up with someone he had once known, nothing more. So why was he so nervous?

After a few minutes like this, he finally gathered up the courage and stood, walking to the door and knocking. As he waited, he once more ended up fiddling with his hands nervously. When the door opened, however, he instantly stopped and forced his hands back down to his side. "I…um…I'm here to speak with the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk," he told the butler as steadily as he could.

"And who, may I ask, is calling?" The man asked, studying Robert.

"Robert Crawley, The Earl of Grantham."

The man gave a curt nod, motioning for him to follow him as he walked down the hall and then opened the door to what appeared to be the drawing room. The butler announced him and then left the room, leaving him with Cora and one of her young boys.

"Lord Grantham," Cora said with a smile, putting aside her needlework and standing. "What a surprise. Please, take a seat."

"Oh, please, call me Robert," he insisted. "We once called one another by our Christian names."

Cora grinned at him and slowly sat down beside her son, brushing the boy's dark hair back. "Only if you call me Cora," she said with a smile. "I don't believe we need formalities when we are not in public."

Robert gave her a small smile and nodded, moving to sit across from the woman. They were all silent for a few moments, Robert fiddling with his thumbs in his lap before forcing himself to stop.

"Peter, darling," Cora said quietly to the boy reading next to her. "How about you move to the library for a few minutes and mama will come and join you soon, hmm?"

The boy looked between the two quietly, narrowing his eyes skeptically on Robert for a moment before closing his book and standing, leaving the room quietly. Cora let out a small laugh and shook her head, looking back to Robert. "He doesn't like to leave my side," she said quietly. "Not since his father died. It's like he's afraid I'll leave him too, the poor thing."

"He seems like a very sweet boy," Robert said, looking back to the door for a moment. "All you children are very sweet." Just like he remembered her to be.

He wasn't sure, but he thought, perhaps, he saw Cora blush at his words. She had looked down as it happened, so he could have been completely wrong. "Was there a reason you came, Robert?" She asked quietly after a moment, the soft smile still on her lips.

"Ah, yes…" Robert started slowly the nerves once more coming back. What if she said no? But why did it even matter if she said no? As he had reminded himself many times, he didn't love her. It shouldn't matter. "After seeing you the other day, I thought, perhaps, it would be nice if we could…go for a walk together, or perhaps tea…"

Cora's smile grew as he rambled on and she laughed softly after a moment, shaking her head. "Robert," she said softly, successfully managing to stop his rambling. She chuckled when he stared at her, almost as though he were afraid she would decline. "I would love to go to tea with you."

For a few moments, Robert stared before he broke into a smile, a small laugh escaping him. "You would?" He asked, before shaking his head with a smile on his lips. "I know a rather charming little tea room on Bond Street…I'll take you there. Is Friday alright?"

"It's perfect," she said softly, the smile seemingly permanently on her face.

Robert beamed and took in a deep breath, standing. "Perfect," he repeated her last word softly. "I will pick you up around say…one and I'll take you there." He moved over to her as she stood, taking her hand gently and kissing it. "I look forward to it," he said softly to her, before they both left the room, Cora seeing him to the door before heading into the library to be with her son.

As he walked down the street once more, Robert almost skipped, despite the light rain that had started to fall. He pulled out his umbrella and twirled it once, letting out a sigh of relief. He didn't want to marry her, he reminded himself, he only wished to get to know an old friend once more. Besides...if he hadn't been forced to marry his late wife, he would have married Cora. She would have been his choice over the woman his mother had chosen.

* * *

 _I know this is a little bit more brief than the previous chapter, but I wanted to post something and I think this was a nice filler between the previous chapter and the next one. You will get to see their little tea date next chapter, and learn more about their respective marriages._


	4. Chapter 3: August 1901 Part III

Chapter 3

 _August 1901 Part III_

Robert smiled as he watched Cora walk down the steps of her London home, daintily pulling her gloves onto her slender hands. Gently, Robert took her hand as she reached the bottom step, his heart fluttering slightly at the smile she gave him at the action.

Fluttering? No, he reminded himself. It is just tea. Just tea with a friend…with Cora. But still, he couldn't help but think how awfully pretty she looked when she smiled. From what he remembered, she looked even prettier when a soft blush accompanied that smile on her porcelain cheeks.

They walked toward the car, Cora's hand still in his as he helped her in before getting in himself. The drive to the tearoom passed in a comfortable silence, with the odd exchange of small talk here and there. It wasn't a very long drive, however, and soon he was helping her out of the car. In front of them was not a tearoom, as Cora had expected. "What is this?" She asked with a small laugh and a smile, looking around at the beautiful gardens in front of her.

Robert's smile grew as he watched her, offering his arm to her. "It's a tea garden, your grace," he said teasingly, smiling as she took his arm. "This one just opened recently. I've heard wonderful things about it. And it is a positively lovely day. I thought it was the perfect place to take you."

Cora watched him as he spoke, fighting the urge to give him a small kiss of appreciation on the cheek. It may have been appropriate in public in America, but not here. Not in England, and certainly not with the man she had fallen in love with at her season only to discover that he would be marrying someone else. He would be marrying someone else when she had thought he was going to ask her. "It's lovely," she said softly as they sat at a table by some rose bushes. "Thank you for bringing me here," she whispered, smelling one of the roses.

"It's my pleasure," Robert said with a smile as the waiter brought tea and some cakes over for them. "I'm just glad you like it." He took a moment to admire Cora as she smiled sweetly at the waiter and gave him a soft 'thank you'. She was still just as sweet as he remembered her to be.

"I heard about your wife a few years back," Cora said in a sad tone as she poured herself some tea. "It must have been awful, I'm sorry," she said sympathetically as her eyes came up to meet his. "You must have loved her a great deal."

Robert gave her a sad smile and took in a deep breath. "I grew to love her," he said quietly. He really hadn't loved her at first, not at all. She was his mother's choice, not his. "Actually…our marriage was rather a strained one. We got along for the first few years, but then we grew apart when we still didn't have any children. It was difficult, and then we were told after years of trying that she wasn't capable. Then one day we found out she was pregnant, already nearly four months along." He paused, fiddling with the spoon beside his teacup. "It was in her…her sixth month that the accident happened and the baby came early. She died in childbirth, along with our daughter." The only thing his mother could speak of after that was she didn't even have the decency to conceive a son when she finally got pregnant. "We finally were happy, and then she was taken from me."

Cora watched him sadly as he spoke before reaching across the table and taking his hand. "Well…it sees we have the tragic loss of our spouses in common," she whispered, looking down to their hands.

"I was at his funeral," Robert said quietly, tearing his eyes away from the spoon he had been fiddling with and meeting her eyes once more.

"You were?" Cora breathed softly. She hadn't known that. Of course, she hadn't recognized him in the park the other day at first, despite him looking familiar. Even if she had recognized him, however, she hadn't particularly been present enough at the funeral to recognize the people around her. She had been grieving.

Robert nodded at her question. "He was a good man, I've had the pleasure of having luncheon with him once or twice when we were both in London. We've spoken at a few balls as well."

He watched her teary smile, his heart aching slightly for her. The man had only died a little over a year ago; of course she was still in pain. "He was a good man, and an even better father," she whispered. "Poor Peter hasn't been the same since he passed away." She was quiet for a moment, turning to study the roses and then taking in a shaky breath as she looked back to him. "It just started out as a…a cold. It was even diagnosed as a spring cold. And then the cough got worse until one day he could no longer catch his breath. It was pneumonia…the doctor had caught it too late and he told us there was nothing he could do."She shook her head and closed her eyes. Despite how painful it still was for her to speak of her husband's death, she found that speaking about it to Robert had help her somewhat…it was as though a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

"I can only imagine how difficult it was for your boys to lose their father," Robert said quietly.

Cora opened her eyes at those words and then gave him a sad smile. "They were inconsolable for a little while," she answered. "But William, the sweet boy, felt that being the eldest he should step up and help his brothers. I caught him crying one night in bed, and I told him he didn't have to be strong for them yet." She stopped and then looked down before smiling slightly and looking back up to him. "I think they really enjoyed meeting you. You made quite an impression on them the other day, you were all Michael could speak of."

Robert chuckled softly at those words, the mood of the conversation shifting slightly. "They're charming boys, very polite," he said with a smile. "Your nanny did a wonderful job."

At those words, Cora laughed softly and shook her head. "I mostly raised them actually," She said quietly, smiling at Robert's look of surprise. "I didn't want to alienate my children, and I became even more invested in them after my husband died. They still have a nanny that watches them occasionally and helps me at times, but she's been with me for years…she know how I prefer to do things, and she respects it."

Robert couldn't help but be impressed by her confession. She certainly wasn't like other women of her station. She was still proper, and still a lady, but to find a duchess who actually completely raised her children herself…he found it admirable, and it only made him like her more.

The rest of their visit passed in pleasant conversation, mainly exchanging happy memories of their past marriages—no matter how brief on Robert's side—or discussing Cora's children. Soon, they were back at the house, Robert walking her up the steps to the front door.

"Thank you for such a lovely day, Robert," Cora said softly as they stopped at the door. "I haven't had one quite like it in some time."

"It was my pleasure," Robert said softly. "I enjoyed it just as much…in fact, I would like to invite you for dinner before my mother and I return to Downton. She was having a small dinner party."

Cora's face fell slightly at those words and she let out a small sigh. "Well, actually," she started hesitantly, Robert's face falling at her tone. "The children and I are closing up the London house and returning to the countryside tomorrow. But it is my understanding that Downton is also in Yorkshire, am I right?" Robert's eyes lit up with curiosity at those words and he nodded slowly. "We mainly reside in Carlton Towers in northern Yorkshireduring the fall and the winter. We generally go to Arundel in the summer. Perhaps we can still see one another once in a while. I'm sure the boys would love to see you again."

Robert smiled once more at those words and nodded. "That would be lovely," he said. "I would like to see your children again." He paused and looked down to his hands for a moment, nervously. "Perhaps…I could write to you."

Cora merely smiled at those words, her hand going to the doorknob. "I would like that," she said softly, giving him one last smile before slipping inside.

* * *

 _Thank you to everyone who reviewed! To be honest, I am not entirely sure whether the Duke of Norfolk stayed in Carlton Towers in Yorkshire more often, or Arundel Castle, but for the purpose of this story, I thought it would be best if she lived in the one nearby him for majority of the year._


	5. Chapter 4: October 1901 Part I

Chapter 4

 _October 1901_

It had been about a month and a half since he had met Cora once more in London. Shortly after she returned to the countryside, so too did Robert and his mother. He hadn't told Violet anything of his two meetings with Cora while they were in London, nor the few meetings he had had with her since returning to Downton. In the weeks since their return, he and Cora had been on a few walks together, or even gone riding, and a few picnics with the children. He was beginning to find he couldn't go even a week without seeing Cora and her family.

The way her face lit up when he was with her made his heart flutter…and he laugh, he couldn't even begin to explain the music that was her laugh. Everything about her caused him to feel things he never had felt for anyone before in his life, but he couldn't exactly explain what that feeling was should anyone ever ask him.

"Robert!" His mother's voice pulled him from his thoughts, and one look at her face led him to believe that she had been speaking to him for quite some time already. "Heavens, boy, are you deaf today?" She asked incredulously, shaking her head as she sipped at her tea.

Robert stared at her for a moment, blinking a few times before shaking his head. "I was thinking about asking a friend and her family to dinner," he said quietly, folding up his latest letter from Cora and setting it aside.

Violet looked at him in surprise, very slightly mimicking his previous expression only moments earlier. "Her?" She asked slowly, a very slight tone of interest in her voice as she set her teacup down on the table in front of her. "May I ask who this woman is? Is she the reason you're out of the house so much lately?" He seemed to leave at the same time almost everyday lately, and he always returned in good spirits.

Robert couldn't help but roll his eyes at those words. "We are merely friends, mama," he dismissed quietly, to which his mother scoffed and rolled her eyes.

Friends. A man could not merely be _a friend_ to a woman. It simply was not common. Whoever this woman was, she was clearly much more to her son. "You said her family?" Violet asked as she took another dainty sip of her tea.

"She had four sons," Robert explained, setting his own teacup down on the table as he finished. "And a one year old daughter. She will likely leave her at home with the nanny, however, since she obviously is not self-reliant enough to sit with us during dinner."

Violet's eyes widened at those words and she nearly choked on her tea. "Four young boys?" She exclaimed in shock, clearly appalled. "In the dining room? At dinner?" She paused for a moment and then her eyes widened a little more. "Is this _friend_ of yours a _married_ woman?" Five children? There was no way she was not married! It would be a scandal if that was how it was.

"No!" Robert said quickly, knowing what his mother was thinking. While affairs were not frowned upon in society once a woman produced an heir, they were still a very large source of gossip. "She's a widow. A few months over a year now."

This time, the Dowager Countess's eyes narrowed as she thought. "Widowed?" She asked suspiciously. "A little over a year? Five children and the youngest a girl? Next you're going to tell me this woman has a stepson in his early twenties who has inherited his late father's title." One look at Robert, and she could tell that was also true. "Well, if I didn't know any better, I would say you were describing the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk." From the way her son tensed, she knew she had guessed it right. "And you want to invite her and her boys? Her _young_ children in our dining room?"

"I do…" Robert answered slowly. "They are very well behaved boys, mama, she has done well with them."

From what she remembered from the late Duke's funeral, those boys truly have been very well behaved. Granted, their father had only just died, but most decent mothers would not have taken their young children to a funeral anyway. It was most certainly her American ideals. Clearly they had not changed since her first season. Violet was very glad she had found Robert an English heiress with enough money so he had not had to marry Cora Levinson all those years ago. But who was to say he wasn't thinking it now despite his claims that she was just a friend? He certainly wasn't simply a friend with the woman, she could tell simply by looking at him.

"Very well," she sighed quietly after a moment. "But only on the condition that her mother-in-law join as well." The Dowager Duchess had been a close friend of hers all her life.

"That sounds fair enough to me," Robert agreed, dancing inside at the idea of Cora getting to see Downton.

* * *

It was around seven later that night that Cora arrived at Downton with her four boys and her mother-in-law, Emma Fitzalan-Howard, the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk. Well…Cora had also become a dowager while her mother-in-law was still living.

If she was quite honest, she was actually very nervous. She had met Robert's mother once before, and she hadn't been very kind to her then. It could be the exact same this time around as well. The time she and Robert were spending together—with or without her children—was growing more and more, and she could feel the feelings she had had for him in the beginning coming back. It gave her hope for what the future of their relationship could hold. However, that also depended on what his mother did about it this time around as well.

Robert was in the drawing room with his mother and stood when Carson showed Cora and her family into the room. He smiled at them and moved to her, gently taking her hand and pressing a kiss to the back of it. "I'm so glad you could all come," he said with a smile, looking down to the boys as well. He looked up to her mother-in-law after a while and offered her a smile as well. "It's lovely to meet you, your grace."

Emma gave him a small smile, one that was clearly only there to be polite, and then gave him a curt nod. She reminded him a little of his mother…although she looked as though she was less stern. He remembered Cora mentioning having troubles with her for a while, but the woman had warmed up to her in the end and now treated her as her own daughter.

Violet had watched the entire exchange between her son and the woman's family, her lips very slightly pursed the entire time. The boys certainly were well dressed, and seemed polite enough, but looking at Cora, she could tell that she was still the same girl from all those years ago: sweet, starry-eyed…innocent, and still American.

"My lady," she heard Carson say to her. "Dinner is served."

They all filed into the dining room, Robert sitting across from Cora, who was sitting between her mother-in-law and little Michael. He had Peter sitting next to him, and his own mother on his other side.

Dinner was a quiet affair for the first few minutes as the footmen and Carson went around the table with dishes of food. The conversation was quiet and polite at first, Robert introducing each of Cora's boys to Violet. However, the politeness did not last long, at least not on Violet's part. Her tongue was biting and judging as usual, many of the same discrete insults from years ago being brought forward to Cora.

Cora tried not to let the woman's words wound her. Years ago, those exact words had wounded her, but she had been young and sensitive. She still was sensitive, but she knew how to better guard some of her emotions now. She could tell, however, that Violet's words to her had upset her children to some extent, though William was trying hard not to throw a biting remark right back at the Dowager Countess.

When the night finally finished off, Robert came to see Cora and her family out the door, Cora carrying a sleeping Michael in her arms. "I apologise for mama," Robert whispered to her quietly, to which Cora gave him a small smile and shook her head.

"I expected as much due to memories of our last meetings," she whispered back, adjusting her son in her arms. "You'll call on me again sometime this week?" She asked him as her mother-in-law left out the front door with the boys.

Robert smiled, gently kissing her hand. "I wouldn't dream of not calling on you," he said with a smile.

Cora beamed at him and nodded, turning to follow her mother-in-law. "Goodnight," she called in a whisper over her shoulder, getting into the car.

"Well…" Emma started a few moments after the car pulled away from the house. "That was a disaster."

Those words caused Cora to frown. A disaster? What could she mean? The boys had been well behaved, the conversation had been going fine until Robert's mother had made a few judging comments to her…and they certainly weren't comments Emma herself had not used toward her in the beginning. "I don't know what you mean, I had a good time," she said softly, a small smile on her lips as she looked out the window, intent on the rest of the ride remaining silent.

* * *

 _Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! To be honest, I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this chapter. I did get a little stuck, that's why it ended a seemingly in the middle. And I didn't do much of dinner because I'm not particularly good at writing a witty Violet._


	6. Chapter 5: October 1901 Part II

Chapter 5

 _Octobert 2, 1901_

For a month such as October, the day seemed to be an unusually lovely one, particularly for England. This couldn't have made Robert happier, for it meant he and Cora could go for a picnic rather than spending another ordinary day simply having tea together in her drawing room as they had been in the recent gloomy weather. He suggested exactly that when he arrived at her door with a picnic basket he had requested their new cook, Mrs. Patmore, prepare for them.

So there the two of the were, out somewhere in the fields of her estate under a tree, on a picnic blanket, eating their luncheon together. It hadn't been his plan until he had seen the sky that morning. It had been a plan he had entirely kept from his mother, since he knew she didn't approve. He didn't want her judging Cora and sending him disapproving glances, nor did he want her sending Cora anymore biting remarks. Whether she liked it or not, he needed a new wife, and he was almost positive he was officially courting Cora. She was the one. She had been the one even when they first met. But back then, he wasn't sure he saw Cora for anything more than her money, and he was almost certain he wouldn't have immediately realized his true feelings for her.

"It really is a beautiful day," he heard Cora's lovely voice say in a peaceful tone. The children were currently in lessons, so it was just the two of them for the day, something that rarely happened.

He gave her a soft smile, the hand that was resting near hers moving to gently caress her knuckles with his thumb. "It certainly is," he whispered softly. _Just as beautiful as the woman next to me_ , he thought. In fact, she was even more beautiful. The most beautiful thing he had ever laid eyes on.

His actions made Cora freeze for a moment and her breath catch in her throat. In all the time they had spent together, their touches had been limited to her simply take his arm on walks, nothing much more. But his—his thumb caressing her knuckles—she found she liked it. Loved it even. And despite their minimal touches, she found that it felt like the most natural thing in the whole world. It felt like something that was meant to always happen between them.

However, for Robert, her silence and her apparent shock was rather worrying for him, and he immediately began to second-guess his actions. He had stepped out of line too soon. They hadn't been seeing one another long enough, suppose she found it odd, or even inappropriate, that he was caressing her hand almost intimately? Perhaps he shouldn't have… "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean…" he started slowly, starting to pull his hand away from hers.

"No, it's fine," Cora interrupted quickly, giving him a smile and gently pulling his hand back to its previous position. "I like it. You just caught me a little bit by surprise. But you don't have to move your hand."

Robert took in a shaky breath and nodded at her reassuring words, giving her a soft smile. That smile…that smile made her heart melt. He was such a sweet, kind man. The more she saw of him, the more she found she was falling in love with him. She had thought she had been in love with him all those years ago, but now…now she felt it so much stronger, especially when she watched him with her children. The love she had felt back then simply seemed trivial to what she felt now. "Robert, I…" Cora started slowly, but trailed off after a moment, second-guessing her idea to tell him how she felt.

"I want to discuss something with you," Robert said softly at the same time she started to trail off. Those words, for some reason, caused Cora's heart to sink, but she said nothing and gave him a tentative nod. She watched as he took in a nervous breath, and that only made her even more nervous. Clearly this was serious if he was so nervous to speak with her about it.

"Since my wife died, I've been told by everyone that I need to find a new wife," Robert explained quietly. He didn't have an heir, they told him. He wouldn't ever have an heir unless he remarried. "But I didn't want to…not for a long time, despite them telling me I could never secure an heir without a new wife. I didn't care, for I didn't want to marry simply for that fact alone anymore. I had already married simply for money. And then I met you for the second time. After that, I did care, because I had found someone that it could be about so much more with…"

Cora's eyes widened at his words and her breath caught in her throat once more. "Robert," she breathed softly, a small smile turning up the corners of her lips. "Are you asking me to marry you?"

Robert gave her a smile and kissed the back of her hand softly. "Not quite yet," he responded quietly, his lips still against her hand. "But I know you are the one I want to marry eventually, whether mama approves or not. I want to do it right and continue to court you for a little while longer, though. I do not wish to rush anything just yet." _Because I love you_ , he added in his head, but he found he did not have the courage to say it out loud. He wanted to, oh how he wanted to say it out loud, but for some reason, he simply couldn't yet.

Cora let out a small laugh and squeezed his hand gently. "I would love that, Robert," she whispered. "I want to marry you too. And I completely agree with you decision." She went quiet for a moment and then let out a shaky sigh. "Your mother, though, she doesn't like me. That was clear from last night, and when we first met. Are you sure she'll…"

"It doesn't matter," he assured her, squeezing her hand gently again. "It is not her decision. It is mine. And I choose you. I intend to make that clear to her." He stared into her eyes for a few moments, wanting nothing more than to kiss her. After a moment, however, he blinked and fought back the urge. "I apologize for her behaviour, by the way. She had no right to say those things. She doesn't know you."

A smile lit up Cora's face at those words and Robert felt his heart speed up. That smile…that smile was the smile he loved. And that smile would soon be all his. Somehow he knew she reserved that particular smile only for him. Letting out a slow breath. He slowly raised his free hand to gently caress her cheek. Slowly, his thumb trailed over her bottom lip, and his eyes came up to meet hers.

Those lovely blue eyes were gazing up into his and the beauty of them made his heart stop momentarily and his breath catch. "Cora…" he breathed quietly. "May I…would you mind terribly if I kissed you?"

That caused a small smile to grow on Cora's lips and she shook her head in response. The two of them simply watched one another for a few moments more, Robert still gently caressing her soft cheek. Her skin was more soft than he could even imagine, and he couldn't help but glance to her lips and wonder if they were just as soft. They looked it. After a few moments, he leaned forward and pressed a tender kiss to her soft lips. Just as he thought, they were just as soft, softer even, than her skin was. Kissing her felt like the most natural thing in the world, almost as of the two of them had specifically been made simply to kiss only one another.

It was with great reluctance that Robert pulled away after the kiss lasted a few moments longer than was appropriate. He gave her a soft smile and gently caressed her cheek once more. "Lovely," he whispered softly. "Have I ever told you how impossibly lovely you are?" And he wasn't just talking of her beauty. She truly was a beautiful person both inside and out.

He relished at the blush that rose in Cora's cheeks, a smile growing on his own lips. "Not directly, no," she breathed softly, a small laugh escaping her.

Robert chuckled with her and pressed a tiny kiss to her lips. "Well you are," he whispered. "Quite lovely. The loveliest I have ever met."

 _I figured this seemed a perfect place to end this chapter. I didn't plan for this chapter to be purely fluff, but that was what happened. And I apologize profusely for taking so long to update. I was finishing up a spring course (which I got an A- in, happily) and I'm also preparing to move into an apartment in a week. But I'm all finished packing for now and I'm heading to my hometown for a week so I should have more time before my summer courses started next week. I hopefully should be able to get one more chapter up this week. And thank you for all the reviews on the previous chapter!_


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